Immobile Phase Research Articles

Hands Up Program: Results of a feasibility study of a randomized controlled trial of a bone health exercise and education program for adults aged 50-65 post distal radius fracture.

Distal radius fractures (DRF) that occur from a fall from level ground are considered fragility fractures and may be the first indication that someone has compromised bone mineral density and is at risk of having osteoporosis. Women at about 50 years of age experience a dramatic increase risk of these fractures. Rehabilitation after DRF focuses on restoring range of motion and strength in the wrist, but rarely address future bone health concerns. We developed a 6-week therapist-developed remote full body exercise and osteoporosis/bone-health education program (called The Hands Up Program). This study was designed to evaluate the feasibility of a larger trial examining the effects of a whole-body exercise and education program for people 50-65 after a DRF. Community dwelling individuals between the age of 50-65 with a radiographically confirmed DRF were recruited from the Roth| McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Center in London, Ontario. Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio into either the Hands Up Program which was a twice weekly exercise and education program for 6 weeks, or the control group where they proceeded with usual care. The intervention was delivered online through a website where participants created a unique username and password to access. The primary feasibility outcomes of the study were recruitment rate (74 participants in 1 year), retention rate (75% completion), and intervention adherence rate (60% of completion of the exercise program). Secondary outcomes included strength, range of motion, self-reported outcomes, and bone density. Overall, 74 participants were recruited in 14 months. Retention did not meet the criteria for success, as only 53% of the participants attended their 12-month visit. Adherence was also not met albeit close with 55% completing the exercise program. Twelve participants withdrew from the study, five due to the time commitment, four without explanation, one due to group allocation, one due to COVID and one participant moved. One participant was deemed ineligible after consent. Four of the participants that withdrew were in the intervention group, and four in the control group, five participants withdrew before they were allocated to a group. Feedback from patients indicated potential improvements to the program: lower assessment burden, spacing out the intervention so that the education portion could be delivered during the immobilization phase of recovery, and creating a more individualized program. Adherence and retention were both a challenge, although adherence was close to target. While achieving adherence to exercise in bone health is a known challenge, given the importance of prevention in the at-risk DRF population and the challenges in co-design and delivery during the pandemic, we believe evaluation of a revitalized program is warranted.

A Brief Review on Separation Techniques: Chromatography Techniques

Chromatography is a system that helps distinct, purify, and recognize mixture components for both quantitative as well as qualitative study [1]. Proteins can be separated and purified depends on their dimensions, shape, net charge, aquaphobic structures on the outermost layer, and binding capability with the immobile phase. The exchange of ions, superficial adsorption, separation, and size exclusion are examples of molecular property and interaction-based separation techniques. Stationary bed chromatography procedures, such as paper chromatography technique, Column Chromatography technique as well as Thin Layer Chromatography technique. Column chromatography technique serves as one of the most common protein purification methods. This review comprises an insight the separation techniques such as Column Chromatography technique, Gas Chromatography technique, Paper Chromatography technique, Thin Layer Chromatography technique, Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography technique (HIC), used for separation of biomolecules.

Phase evolution of Nd3+-doped natural garnet minerals systems: A potential host phase for trivalent actinide immobilization

The immobilization of long-lived actinides produced from spent fuel reprocessing poses a significant environmental concern. In this work, we synthesized glass-ceramics at low temperatures using natural garnet minerals as precursors to immobilize trivalent actinides. Two primary metrics, the quantitative distribution of Nd3+ in glass-ceramics and its leaching rate, were employed to explore the mechanism of Nd3+ immobilization in glass-ceramic products. XRD results show that the primary crystalline phase of the glass-ceramics transitions from calcium feldspar and spinel to oxyapatite with increasing Nd2O3 content. Within a specific range, the proportion of Ca2Nd8(SiO4)6O2 in the samples increases from 37.9 % to 57.9 % with rising Nd2O3 content, while the glassy phase proportion decreases. The distribution of Nd3+ in Ca2Nd8(SiO4)6O2-based glass-ceramics was quantitatively investigated using a combination of TEM-EDX and Rietveld refinement calculations. Nearly 70 % of Nd was found to benefit from a double sealing barrier (Oxyapatite + glass) even under high Nd2O3 loading. A 42-day leaching experiment was conducted using deionized water as the medium. The data demonstrated that Ca2Nd8(SiO4)6O2-based glass-ceramics exhibited a lower Nd-normalized leaching rate(LRNd∼10−5 g m−2 d−1) in solution compared to products solely relying on the glass network for actinide immobilization. This work introduces a cost-effective natural solution for trivalent actinide immobilization.

Comparative Analysis of Rehabilitation Strategies Following Ankle Fracture Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Considering various forms of immobilization that enable early weight-bearing or exercise initiation, rehabilitation following an ankle fracture can start shortly after the fracture has been repaired. Alternatively, after the period of immobility, physical or manual therapy may be used to begin rehabilitation. This systematic review aimed to compare different rehabilitation strategies after ankle fracture surgery. Four different databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed/MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, and Google Scholar) were used to retrieve the relevant data using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials involving people undergoing every type of rehabilitation therapy following an ankle fracture surgerywere taken into consideration. The main result was a limitationin activities. Adverse events and impairments were instances of such secondary outcomes. A total of 31 studies were found to be eligible for inclusion in this systematic review. The use of exercise and a removable form of immobilization during the immobilization phase to enhance activity limitation is supported by very little evidence. The patient's capacity to adhere to this treatment plan is crucial due to the possible higher risk. To support the available data, more carefully planned and sufficiently powered clinical trials must be conducted.

Self-phoretic oscillatory motion in a harmonic trap.

We consider the motion of a harmonically trapped overdamped particle, which is submitted to a self-phoretic force, that is proportional to the gradient of a diffusive field for which the particle itself is the source. In agreement with existing results for free particles or particles in a bounded domain, we find that the system exhibits a transition between an immobile phase, where the particle stays at the center of the trap, and an oscillatory state. We perform an exact analysis giving access to the bifurcation threshold, as well as the frequency of oscillations and their amplitude near the threshold. Our analysis also characterizes the shape of two-dimensional oscillations that take place along a circle or a straight line. Our results are confirmed by numerical simulations.

Dual-porosity approach: heat transfer and heat storage processes in porous media

ABSTRACT This study emphasizes the significance of understanding groundwater flow behavior for effective contaminant transport and heat storage. Aquifers, with their irregular shapes and variable permeability, exhibit anisotropic flow resistances that affect mass and heat transfer, posing challenges for modeling. The dual-porosity model is used as a numerical approach to calculate macroscopic heat transfer without explicitly resolving the structure. By solving equations for mobile and immobile phases and coupling relevant equations for heat conservation, this model was applied to transient numerical experiments simulating heat transfer and storage in a desktop model filled with glass beads. Results indicate alignment with experimental and numerical models resolving porous structures on the microstructure scale. This methodology offers a comprehensive digital toolbox for solving large-scale heat storage problems in aquifers, contributing to digital and sustainability transformations with reasonable computational demands.

Precursor carboxy-silica for functionalization with interactive ligands. IV. Carbodiimide assisted preparation of immobilized antibody stationary phases for high performance immuno-affinity chromatography of human serum

In this Part IV of the article series dealing with the functionalization of the precursor carboxy silica with various chromatographic ligands, immuno affinity (IA) columns were prepared with immobilized anti-apolipoprotein B (AAP B) and anti-haptoglobin (AHP) antibodies for use in immuno affinity chromatography (IAC) in the aim of selectivily capturing their corresponding antigens from healthy and cancer human sera. Diseased human serum with adenocarcinoma cancer was selected as a typical diseased biological fluid. Besides preferentially capturing their corresponding antigens, the AAP B column captured from disease-free and cancer sera, 34 proteins and 33 proteins, respectively, while the AHP column enriched 38 and 47 proteins, respectively. This nonspecific binding can be attributed to the many proteins human serum have, which could mediate protein–protein interactions thus leading to the so-called “sponge effect”. This kind of behavior can be exploited positively in the determination of differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) for diseased serum with respect to healthy serum and in turn allow the identification of an array of potential biomarkers for cancer. In fact, For AHP column, 13 upregulated and 22 downregulated proteins were identified whereas for AAP B column the numbers were 23 and 10, respectively. The DEPs identified with both columns match those reported in the literature for other types of cancers. The different expression of proteins in each IAC column can be related to the variability of protein–protein interactions. In addition, an array of a few biomarkers is more indicative of a certain disease than a single biomarker.

NON-ISOTHERMAL MODELING OF SOIL VAPOR EXTRACTION SYSTEM INCLUDING SOIL TEMPERATURE EFFECT

Soil vapor extraction (SVE) is a proven effective in-situ technology for the removal of volatileorganic compounds (VOCs) from the subsurface. SVE process is highly sensitive to temperature.Studying annual soil temperature variation with depth declares that there is a considerable temperaturevariation in the upper few meters that may affect the overall efficiency of SVE process.A numerical model was developed to aid in investigation of field-scale soil vapor extractionprocess. The model is three-dimensional, time dependent that simulates nonisothermal vapor flow andtransport of multicomponent mixtures in soil and keeps track of the distribution of each compound inthe other three immobile phases (NAPL, aqueous, and sorbed). Rate limited interphase mass transferwith linear driving force expressions were used to model volatilization of oil into gas phase. A localequilibrium partitioning was assumed between gas, water, and solid phase. The model equations werediscretized using a standard Galerkin finite element method and solved using set iterative solutionalgorithm.Simulation of hypothetical field-scale problems was done. The physical domain described a threedimensionalsystem with flow to a single extraction well. A hypothetical soil temperature variationwith depth was incorporated with the model. The result of these simulations showed that thistemperature variation has a considerable effect on system efficiency and may play a role in optimumsystem configuration.

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC): Primary Mechanism and Popular Applications

The concept chromatography can be used to refer to a huge variety of distinct analytical procedures. Each of these procedures utilizes a mobile phase and an immobile phase as a basic component, yet they all belong under the chromatography umbrella concept. The subsequent component separation that is carried out is based on the disparity in concentration ratio that can be detected between the two phases. This disparity acts as the basis for the subsequent component separation that is carried out. Due to the limits of current technology, there is presently no detector that is universally applicable to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), it is required to choose a detector in accordance with the characteristics of the chemicals that are to be examined. The measurements of absorbance in ultraviolet and visible spectrum, known as UV-Vis, or disclosing fluorescence are the foundations of the most common types of fluorescence detectors. In HPLC the components of the apparatus consist of a carrier phase, which is typically a solvent with a buffer solution; a pump; an injector; a column; a detector; and an integrator. The column is the most important part of the system where the various components are separated from one another. Based on that, there are many various kinds of columns through which the behavior of the components to be separated by these columns is understood. Due to the fact that chromatography is such a widely used technology.

Synthesis and characterization of sodium-aluminophosphate based glass-ceramics containing NZP phase for HLW immobilization

Stable sodium-aluminophosphate (SAP) based glass-ceramics with sodium zirconium phosphate (NZP) crystalline phase for high-level nuclear waste (HLW) immobilization were prepared by a melt-quenching process, and the effects of ZrO2 and B2O3 on their phase composition, structural features and properties were discussed in detail. The results show that the SAP based glass-ceramics obtained by the melt-quenching process show good aqueous durability and thermal stability. ZrO2 addition improves the formation of NZP phase but restrains the crystallization of AlPO4 phases. It is found that the correct ratios of ZrO2 and B2O3 allow only phase formation of NZP within the SAP glass, and the reasons were also analyzed. The conclusions demonstrate that the SAP based glass-ceramics with NZP phase as the crystalline phase are the potential matrices for specific HLW immobilization, and suggest that the melt-quenching process is an applicable way to prepare certain glass-ceramic waste forms.

Facile preparation of diblock copolymers as functional surfaces for protein chromatography

AbstractStationary phase plays a crucial role in the operation of a protein chromatography column. Conventional resins composed of acrylic polymers and their derivatives contribute to heterogeneity of the packing of stationary phase inside these columns. Alternative polymer combinations through customized surface functionalization schemes which consist of multiple steps using static coating techniques are well known. In comparison, it is hypothesized that single‐step scheme is sufficient to obtain porous adsorbents as stationary phase for tuning surface morphology and protein immobilization. To overcome the challenge of heterogeneous packing and ease of fabrication at laboratory scale, change in the form factor of separation materials has been proposed in the form of functional copolymer surfaces. In the present work, an amphiphilic, block copolymer, poly(methyl methacrylate‐co‐methacrylic acid) has been chosen and fully characterized for its potential usage in protein chromatography. Hydrophilicity of the acrylic copolymer and abundance of carboxyl groups inherently on the copolymer surface have been successfully demonstrated through contact angle measurements, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies. Morphological studies indicate presence of a microporous region (nearly 1.3 μm average pore size) that could be beneficial as a cation exchange media as part of the stationary phase in protein chromatography.

Facile formation of pollucite in geopolymers: Implications for radioactive Cs immobilization

Pollucite, CsAlSi2O6, is one of the few naturally occurring cesium minerals, and is considered as an efficient phase for long-term immobilization of radioactive cesium. The occlusion of cesium ions within pollucite structure is conventionally achieved via solid state syntheses, requiring temperatures exceeding 1000 °C, or hydrothermal processes which are typically preformed at 200–300 °C and elevated pressures. The current paper reports on the formation of pollucite within Cs-bearing geopolymers at near-ambient temperatures and pressures. By combining data from X-ray powder diffraction and 133Cs solid-state NMR measurements we are able not only to identify the various phases that are formed within crystalline-amorphous geopolymer matrices, but also follow changes in the distribution of cesium between the various phases as a function of geopolymer formulation. Based on these data we were able demonstrate that the extent of pollucite formation increases with the Si2O:Al2O3 ratio in the geopolymer formulation. The formation of crystalline pollucite domains within composite crystalline-amorphous geopolymer matrices may have important implications for the immobilization of radioactive cesium.

Adjoint models with non-Fickian reactive transport to identify pollutant sources in water

Pollutant source identification (PSI) has remained a research topic in environmental sciences for decades for hazardous chemicals, with the assumption that the transport of pollutants is Fickian. Pollutant transport in natural media, however, is usually non-Fickian, characterized by slow retention or preferential movement, and PSI models remained unknown for non-Fickian, reactive transport. To fill this knowledge gap, an adjoint fractional advection-dispersion-reaction equation (fADRE) was derived in this study to identify the source location of reactive pollutants undergoing non-Fickian diffusion with multiple phases in subsurface water with any dimension and boundary conditions. Six fundamental chemical reactions varying from radioactive decay to bimolecular reactions were considered, whose backward-in-time rate equations were simulated by particle tracking combined with backward non-Fickian diffusion. Applications showed that the adjoint fADRE identified the source location of reactive tracer transport in “homogeneous” sand columns repacked in our laboratory and a heterogeneous alluvial aquifer in an actual field site, while the Fickian-based, classical PSI model overestimated by four times the source location of reactive pollutants undergoing strong non-Fickian transport. To expand the applicability of the adjoint fADRE for PSI, we also discussed the impacts of the immobile pollutant phase and reactive kinetics on PSI, pollutant release history recovery, and usage of PSI for complex chemical reactions. The results showed that the fundamental chemical reactions considered in this study can affect PSI by adjusting the location and value of the peak of the probability density functions under conditions such as a relatively large decay constant or a space-dependent reaction rate, and the immobile pollutants can also affect PSI by shortening the source location and elongating the release time for pollutants usually detected only in the mobile phase. Therefore, non-Fickian dynamics and pollutant phases (which were missed by the adjoint ADRE), as well as reaction kinetics, must be captured by the adjoint model, such as the adjoint fADRE derived in this study, for PSI in real-world geological media.

Posterior Assessment of Parameters in a Time Domain Random Walk Model of Partitioning Tracer Tests in Two‐Phase Flow Scenarios

AbstractWe provide a reliable and efficient methodological framework for the interpretation of laboratory‐scale partitioning tracer test data under uncertainty. The proposed approach rests on a Time domain random walk (TDRW) particle tracking methodology. The range of applicability of the latter is extended to include transport of partitioning tracers upon considering retardation and trapping mechanisms. A classical maximum likelihood (ML) approach is applied considering the extensive set of experimental observations of Dwarakanath et al. (1999, https://doi.org/10.1021/es990082v). This yields best estimates of model parameters, including residual immobile phase saturation, the partition coefficient and the parameters of the memory function employed to simulate the impact of solute trapping. Experimental observations of the partition coefficient are included in the objective function upon relying on a regularization term. We show that considering these types of information, which are typically obtained through batch experiments, is important to attain joint estimates of the partition coefficient and of residual immobile phase saturation. Sample probability distributions of model parameters conditional on available data are then assessed through a stochastic inverse modeling approach. This step poses a significant challenge in terms of computational effort and is performed through a reduced order surrogate model. Our results show that the TDRW‐based approach can effectively capture the key features of the observed breakthrough curves of the various partitioning tracers analyzed and provide satisfactory estimates of residual immobile phase saturation.

Treatment of Oil Production Data under Fines Migration and Productivity Decline

Fines migration is a common cause of permeability and, consequently, injectivity and productivity decline in subterranean reservoirs. Many practitioners implement prevention or remediation strategies to reduce the impact of fines migration on field productivity and injectivity. These efforts rely on careful modelling of the underlying physical processes. Existing works have demonstrated the ability to predict productivity decline by quantifying the extent of particle decline at different fluid velocities. Fluid flows in porous media often involve multiple phases, which has been shown in laboratory experiments to influence the extent of particle detachment. However, no theory has directly accounted for this in a particle detachment model. In this work, a new model for fine particle detachment, expressed through the critical retention function, is presented, explicitly accounting for the immobile fines trapped within the irreducible water phase. The new model utilises the pore size distribution to allow for the prediction of particle detachment at different velocities. Further, an analytical model is presented for fines migration during radial flow into a production well. The model accounts for single-phase production in the presence of irreducible water, which has been shown to affect the extent of fines migration significantly. Combining these two models allows for the revealing of the effects of connate water saturation on well impedance (skin factor growth) under fines migration. It is shown that the higher the connate water saturation, the less the effect of fines migration. The appropriateness of the model for analyzing production well data is verified by the successful matching of 10 field cases. The model presented in this study is an effective tool for predicting the rate of skin growth, its stabilization time and final value, as well as the areal distribution of strained particles, allowing for more intelligent well remediation design. Further, the findings of this study can help for a better understanding of the distribution of fines within porous media and how their detachment might be influenced by pore structure and the presence of a secondary immobile phase.

Selenium Uptake from Livestock Pasture Extremely Enriched in Selenium, Molybdenum and Uranium: A Field and X-ray Absorption Study

The agricultural soils of West Limerick, Ireland, contain very localised, extremely high natural Se concentrations that reach levels that are very toxic to grazing livestock. The Carboniferous shales that formed in anoxic deep-water marine environments are the source of the selenium, which, along with the other redox-sensitive elements of molybdenum, uranium, arsenic and vanadium, were mobilised and reprecipitated in post-glacial anoxic marshes. The result has been a history of selenosis and molybdenosis in livestock in this important dairy province. Soils collected at 10–20 cm from five different agricultural sites were analysed, and all yielded concentrations greatly in excess of the safe Se limits of 3–10 mg kg−1; the highest value recorded was 1265.8 mg kg−1 Se. The highest recorded value for Mo in these soils was 1627.5 mg kg−1, and for U, 658.8 mg kg−1. There was a positive correlation between Se, Mo U and organic matter in the soils. Analysis of non-accumulator pasture grasses (Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass), Festuca arundinacea (tall fescue), Dactylis glomerata (cocksfoot) and Phleum pretense (timothy grass)) revealed the shoot/leaf to contain up to 78.05 mg kg−1 Se while Trifolium repens (white clover) leaves contained 296.15 mg kg−1 Se. An in situ growing experiment using the Se accumulator species Brassica oleracea revealed 971.2 mg kg−1 Se in the leaves of premier kale, which also contained 1000.4 mg kg−1 Mo. Translocation factors (TFs) were generally higher for Mo than Se across all plant species. Combined X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) with micro-X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) showed the Se was present in the soil predominantly as the reduced immobile phase, elemental Se (Se0), but also as bioavailable organoselenium species, mainly selenomethionine (SeMet). SeMet was also the main species identified within both the Se non-accumulator and Se accumulator plants. The Se soil–plant system in West Limerick is dominated by SeMet, and uptake into the cattle pasture results in selenosis in the grazing dairy herds. The hyperaccumulating Brassica oleracea species could be used to extract both the Se and Mo to reduce the toxicity of the blighted fields.

Carbon Dioxide Sequestration in Low Porosity and Permeability Deep Saline Aquifer: Numerical Simulation Method

Abstract The saline aquifer is the most reliable place where anthropogenic carbon dioxide gas storage has shown a promising future. This paper evaluates and predicts the capacities of different carbon dioxide storage trapping mechanisms in storing carbon dioxide gas in low porosity and permeability deep saline aquifers by using commercial reservoir simulator software i.e., Computer modeling group (CMG). Four carbon dioxide storage trapping modeled and simulated were structural or stratigraphic trapping mechanisms, residual trapping mechanisms, solubility trapping mechanisms, and mineral trapping mechanisms. Carbon dioxide gas was injected into a deep saline aquifer for 15 years, followed by 833 years of post-injection. To reflect the real field reality and have a reasonable approximation of the amount of carbon dioxide which can be stored in an aquifer, this paper included water vaporization effects that occur during carbon dioxide injection and water injection operations so as to optimize residual and solubility trapping mechanisms as the most important trapping mechanisms. Furthermore, the effects of different important parameters such as salinity, vertical-to-horizontal permeability ratio, injection rate, bottom hole pressure, and temperature on each carbon dioxide trapping mechanism were analyzed. Results revealed that each carbon dioxide trapping mechanism has a different capacity for storing carbon dioxide and could be either affected linearly or nonlinearly with various parameters. Higher aquifer temperatures are not recommended for carbon dioxide storage because most of the carbon dioxide gas is stored as free gas, which increases the risk of leakage in case of mechanical failure or imbalance. Excess salinity is the only factor that reduces aquifer storage capacity. Furthermore, it was found that an aquifer with a lower vertical-to-horizontal permeability ratio is recommended for carbon dioxide storage because it increases carbon dioxide stored in an immobile phase, which avoids risk leakages. There was an increase of 43.2% and a decrease of 16.84% for minimum and maximum vertical-to-horizontal permeability (kv/kh) ratios, respectively, compared to the base for residual trapping mechanisms. Also, there was a decrease of carbon dioxide dissolved by 19% at maximum kv/kh ratios and an increase of 58% at minimum kv/kh ratios, compared to the base case. Further, there was an increase of carbon dioxide trapped by 96.4% and dissolved by 97% when water was injected at a higher rate compared to the base case (no water injection). Thus, a high injection rate is suggested to enhance residual and solubility trapping mechanisms. It is recommended that the carbon dioxide injection rate and bottom hole pressure be kept at optimal levels to avoid mechanical failure due to aquifer pressures building up, which can increase the risk of leakages and must be monitored and controlled at the surface using pressure gauges or sensor technology.

DOSE-DEPENDENT ANTI-DEPRESSANT EFFECT OF CITRUS PARADISI IN REHABILITATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS

With advancement in the modern world, psychological issues, including anxiety and depression has become the leading cause of mental illness. Herbal products have been explored to observe their effects in helping such conditions and citrus fruits are found to be among these helping tools. To study this, current research was designed to explore the antidepressant effects of Citrus paradisi in various doses on rodents. Swiss Albino mice were used and fresh extract of Citrus paradisi was prepared. Imipramine was used as the standard drug. Ethical approval was taken from the Board of Advanced Studies, University of Karachi. The animals were divided into controlled, standard and test groups. All the animals were recruited from the animal house of University of Karachi. Forced Swimming Test was used to analyses the efficacy. It is a standard test, which is commonly used to evaluate the behavioral response in animals using a cylinder at room temperature. After the completion of dosing and monitoring the animals for 30 days, it was observed that marked improvement in the test animal’s behavior with significant p-values indicating that the extract has improved the animal’s psychological response towards the external stress and animals showed noteworthy improvement in the mobile phase as compared to the immobile phase. It can be concluded from the experimental results that protocol established in this study can be used as an alternative for patients suffering with depression as an herbal option, keeping in mind the other co morbidities of patient and drug interactions of Citrus paradisi.

IDENTIFICATION OF TRANSPORT PARAMETERS FOR THE SOLUTE FILTRATION THROUGH POROUS MEDIA WITH CLOGGING

The transport of highly concentrated solutions in porous media was studied both numerically and experimentally. For numerical modeling we used a mobile-immobile (MIM) approach that considers clogging phenomenon. The impurity transition between the mobile and immobile phases was defined by second-order Langmuir kinetics. Kozeny-Carman expression modeled the clogging. The model has four phenomenological parameters which cannot be measured directly. These parameters were identified by minimization of the cost function, which is the squared distance between experimental and numerical data. Dependencies of concentration and mass flux at the outlet were analyzed. Twenty-five different experiments were conducted, and it was shown that transport parameters do not depend on impurity concentration or pressure drop between the ends of the column.

Issues of specific <i>in vitro</i> allergological diagnosis of atopic conditions

There is a steady increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases of atopic origin worldwide, e.g., atopic bronchial asthma (ABA) and atopic dermatitis (AD). Identification of a causally significant allergen in allergic patients is crucial for the diagnosis, therapy and prevention of allergic diseases. Korea has developed the Allergy-Q multiplex test to detect specific IgE. Allergy-Q is based on an immunoblotting method using a nitrocellulose membrane as a solid phase for allergen immobilization and can detect allergen-specific IgE simultaneously to 107 allergens. Our aim was to conduct a comparative analysis for detectable allergen-specific IgE antibodies to food, fungal, pollen, household, epidermal allergens in blood serum by immunoblotting method using the Allergy-Q test system in patients with atopic dermatitis, atopic bronchial asthma and psoriasis.
 The study included patients with atopic dermatitis (AD, group 1, n = 9), atopic bronchial asthma (ABA, group 2, n = 14) and psoriasis (PS, group 3, n = 17). The concentration of total immunoglobulin E and allergen-specific immunoglobulins of class E in blood serum to 32 most common food, fungal, pollen, household, epidermal allergens was determined by the immunoblotting method using the Allergy-Q test system (Korea).
 We have found that sensitization of atopic origin was observed in all patients with AD (n = 9), in 85.7% (n = 12) of patients with atopic bronchial asthma, and in 47.1% (n = 8) of patients with psoriasis. Polyvalent sensitization was shown to prevail in all groups of the examined persons. When studying the spectrum of sensitization to food allergens, a significantly increased frequency of positive reactions to cows milk protein was found in the group of patients with AAA as compared with AD and PS groups. Among all studied groups, sensitization to the Alternaria fungi was found at the highest frequency in the group of patients with ABA. Sensitization to ragweed pollen was very common in all groups of patients. Sensitization to household and epidermal allergens in the groups with AD and AAA was noted for all studied allergens with the highest positivity rates for the feline epithelium and dog dander.
 In the present study, the Allergy-Q system showed an agreement with preliminary data from a specific allergological examinations. This relationship suggests a potential for usage of the Allergy-Q immunoblotting method as a highly effective alternative to other in vitro tests for diagnosing atopy. An advantage of the Allergy-Q Multiplex Serum Allergen-Specific IgE Detection Kit is a short processing time, small amount of blood sample, and broader clinical information on the causative allergens.